Scrolling While Steering: Gen Z on the Road
- Selina Paul
- Sep 17
- 3 min read
No generation has embraced technology like Gen Z, yet their digital confidence seems to be steering them into harm’s way on the road.
As young drivers struggle to disconnect from their devices while behind the wheel, this tech savvy generation has a distinct tendency to drive distracted, resulting in a dangerous trend of increased road collisions.
Generation Gap
Gen Z, born between 1997 and 2012, are the first generation to have lived their entire lives in a hyper-connected world. For Gen Z, constant digital communication and online activity are second nature, and they face a unique pressure to stay engaged.
Despite living in an era of rapid automotive innovation and safety, Gen Z drivers have a 7% accident rate, which is significantly higher than that of the older generations. Baby boomers (born between 1946-1964) have an accident rate of only 3.5%, while Gen X (born between 1965-1980) have a rate of 3.7%.
Similarly, stats from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that Gen Z (specifically teens aged 15-20) have a fatal crash rate that is 1.7 times higher than that of the average driver.
So why are these young drivers, who should be safer on the road with today’s technology, more likely to be involved in collisions? The data suggests that the very thing that defines Gen Z, a fluency in all things digital, might also be their biggest obstacle.
According to the NHTSA, there is direct connection between teens’ high crash rate and their use of tech while driving.
15% of teen car crashes involved the use of a cell phone while driving
Knowing the Rules and Taking the Risks
Despite widespread awareness of the dangers of distracted driving, a startling 68% of youth drivers admit to texting while driving.
There are a handful of similar compromises to safety that Gen Z drivers partake in while on the road. For example, a survey by Insurify found that 15% of Gen Z respondents frequently glance at texts while driving. Yet while some wait to reply, others confess to texting back when it seems urgent.
Most state laws say stopping at a red light still counts as active driving, but for about 1 in 5 Gen Z participants this is a time to read and reply to messages.
Crash statistics and information about safe driving have never been easier to access, yet despite being only a click away, Gen Z isn’t making the informed choice.
Tech-use Done Right – or Wrong?
Gen Z drivers are well versed in the ways they can stay connected while driving, with 21% using voice-to text and auto-read message functions in the car.
Many believe that using hands-free is the safe and responsible choice. But while hands-free devices might eliminate physical distraction, they don’t eliminate cognitive distraction, which is just as dangerous. Data by Cambridge Telematics reveals that any phone use while driving, including hands-free, dramatically increases the risk of a crash.
Nearly 1 in 3 collisions occur within just a minute of phone use.
This begs the question: are today’s vehicles’ built-in assistance features truly designed with safety in mind, or are they helping to normalize a new era of distracted driving?
Staying Safe
No matter how safe and simple technology makes cell phone use while driving appear, anything that divides a driver’s attention from the road poses a potentially deadly risk.
So how can drivers protect themselves on the road? The solution isn’t more tech; it’s less. Safety should always come first. Whenever you are behind the wheel, make the choice to remove and ignore distractions. The best way to do this is by silencing your phone and putting it out of sight.
Remember: texts can wait but safety can’t.
Sources:
Comments